Fence-post or pile driving machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. W. TATE & B. P. DIXON.

FENGE POST 0B. PILE DRIVING MACHINE. No. 391,823. Patented 001:. 30,1888.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. W. TATE & B. F. DIXON.

FENCE POST OR PILE DRIVING MACHINE. I

Pa cented Oct. 30, 1888,

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FENCE POST 0R PILE DRIVING MACHINE.

N0. 391.823 Patented Oct. 30, 1888.

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JOSEPH "W. TATE AND BENJAMIN F. DIXON, OF llllNEQLA, IISSOURI.

FENOE POST OR PILE DRIVlNG MACl-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,823, dated October30, 1888.

Application filed July 2, 1888.

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH V. TATE and BENJAMIN F. DIXON, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Mineola, in the county of Montgomery andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFence- Post and File Driving Machines; and we do declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention has relation to machines for driving piles and posts forfences, and is more particularly adapted for driving the latter.

The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionand claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved machine with someof the parts broken away and in a position ready to be mounted on awagon or other means of conveying. Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portionof one side of the machine, showing the adjustable braces and thehammer-guide frame broken away. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of therectangular frame for supporting the various parts, with the rock-shaftin position thereon. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rocking frame and itsparts removed from the main or base frame, and Fig. 5 is a perspectiveview of the hammerguide frame.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates the main or baseframe, which is of a rectangular form, as shown, and is adapted to besupported upon a wagon or other conveyance, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth. This base or main frame is provided at or near one endwith a pair of rigid parallel cross-bars, a, which are designed tofurnish bearings for a longitudinal rock-shaft, B, journaled therein.The cross-bars are provided about midway of their length on their uppersides with recesses to receive the bearing parts of the rock shaft,which should be rounded, and this shaft is held in position upon thesaid cross-bars by means of cap-blocks b, which are secured thereto bymeans of yokes 0, provided with securing'nuts or other fasteningdevices. The longitudinal beams of this main frame are provided atopposite points with re- Serial No. 278,787. (No model.)

cesses c, which are designed to reccivethe rockshaft when driving fromthe side, as will be presently explained.

D indicates a rectangular frame, which we shall denominate the rockframe. This rock-frame is provided with a plurality oferossbars, (1,which are laterally extended to furnish bearing for a slide-frame whichis arranged within the rock-frame. The under cross'bars, d, of thisrock-frame are firmly fixed to' the opposite ends of the rock-shaft, soas to move therewith. Journaled in the forward under side of thisrock-frame is a transverselyarranged windingdrum, E, which is providedat one end with an operating-handle and receives upon it the rope e, theopposite end of which is connected with the tongs or gripping devicewhich engages the power-hammer, as more fully shown in Fig. l of thedrawings. This rock-frame is furthermore provided at its rear end with across-bar, F, in which is swiveled one end of a screw-shaft,f, which isdesigned to operate a sliding frame, so as to give it a longitudinalmovement, as will be next explained.

Gindicates the sliding or movable frame which is arranged within therock-frame, and while allowed a longitudinal movement independent of thesaid rock shaft, yet it is intended to also have a rocking movement withits outer frame. This sliding frame is provided with a transverse bar, 9in its end adjacent to the winding-drum, and this transverse bar isprovided with an internally-threaded eye to receive the threaded shaftf,which is swiveled in the rock-frame D. It will thus be seen that bymanipulation of the threaded rod the frame G may be moved back and forthwithin the outer frame, D. Fixed to the rear end of this sliding frame Gis a short cross-bar, h, which has pivoted to its opposite endsbrace-arms thereto at any desirable point. The lower ends of these armsI are provided with a crossbar, k,which is designed to bear upon theupper sides of the arms H, and the outer ends of the said arms I arepivoted to the upper portionof the hammer-guide frame. By this construction it will be seen that the hammerguide frame, which will bepresently explained and which is pivoted at its lower end in the slidingframe G, may be held firmly-at any desired angle of inclination bymanipulation of the lever-nut on the rod 2' of the arms H.

K indicates the power-hammer guide-frame, (more fully shown in Fig. 5 ofthe drawings,) which is composed of two parallel beams connected attheir upper ends by the cross-head Z and provided ontheir inner sidesneartheir upper ends with two oppositely-inclined lugs, m, which aredesigned to serve as a tripping or releasing device for the hammer-gripM, which is secured to the free end of the elevating-rope e, whichlatter passes through a guide- .pulley in the under side of thecross-head l,

and thence down and through suitable guides in the movable frame and tothe winding-drum. This hammer-guide frame, as more fully shown in Fig.5, is provided at its lower end with a rectangular base, N, which isjournaled in the forward ends of the longitudinal beam of the slidingframe G, the object of which is to ofiset the said hammer'guide framefrom the other parts, so that the hammer may move unobstructed indriving a pile or post.

1? indicates the power-hammer, which is adapted to slide and be guidedin a frame, K, having grooves in its opposite sides to embrace thevertical beams of the said guideframe.

M indicates the hammer-gripping device, which is here shown as composedof two piv oted jaws j ournaled in a slide block or frame.

R, which is also guided in the said frame -K,

and the upper ends of these pivoted jaws are formed so as to be engagedby the inclined lug m of the frame K. It will thus be seen that thehammer or weight P, having been gripped by the device M, will beelevated by the winding of the rope on the drum, and when the arms ofthe gripping-jaws come in contact with the said inclined lug they willrelease their hold on the weight and allow the same to fall upon thepile or post beneath.

S indicates loops, which we have here shown as of approximatelytriangular form, and are pivoted at their lower angle to the outer sideof the vertical beams of the frame K, so that they may form a loop whichwill coincide with each other in a transverse plane and be exposed onopposite sides of each vertical beam of the frame K. The object of theseloops S is to receive a bar or stick, which stick will embrace the upperend of the postto be driven when the latter has been placed in positionbetween the vertical beams of the frame K and at the lower end thereof.

T indicates stay-ropes, which are secured at one end to the upper end ofthehammer-guide frame, and the lower ends may be attached to rings a and9*,fixed to the base or main frame. By these ropes it will be seen thatthe sliding and rock frame may be stayed laterally at any desiredposition, and that the hammer-guide frame may be fixed longitudinally inany desired position.

The operation of our invention is as follows: In driving a fence-postthe entire machine is placed upon a wagon-body, so that the hammer-guideframe will be extended sufficiently at the rear thereof. Now, when it isdesirable to drive the post,the same is placedin an upright manner onthe ground,with its upper end between the vertical beams of theguideframe K. Two sticks or bars should then be employed to hold thepost in a true vertical position, the sticks being passed through theloops S on opposite sides of the upright beams. The hammer being nowgripped by the jaws of the device M and properly connected with the ropee, the operator should wind the drum to lift the weight or hammer. Whenthe hammer has reached the desired height or elevation,the arms of thegrippingjaws will come in contact with theinside inclined lugs m, whichwill cause the said jaws to release themselves from the weight or hammerand allow thelatter to fall forcibly upon the top of the post to bedriven. After the post has been sufficiently driven the machine may bemoved to drive another, when the operation is simply repeated.

After use, when it is desired to carry the machine from place to place,the stay-ropes may be released, the lever-nut on the rodz' loosened, andthe hammer-guide frame let down, so as to avoid obstructions duringtravel.

As it is often desirable and in some localities necessary to drive fromthe side instead of the end of the vehicle or machine, we have adaptedour improvements for such purposes as well as for driving on unevensurfaces.

When it is desirable to drive from the side, it is simply necessary tochange the bearing of the rock-shaft B from the notches in the crossbarsa to the recesses c, and employ cap-blocks, such as shown, to retain thesame transversely in the main frame A. It will thus be seen that therocking and sliding frame, and also the hammer-guide frame, will assumea position transverse to the main frame.

Having described our invention, what we claim is- I 1. In a machine fordriving fence-posts, the combination, with a main frame, of a rockframemounted thereon, a reciprocating frame arranged in the rock-frame, apivoted hammer-guide frame at one end of the reciprocating or slidingframe, and adjustable braces connecting the said sliding frame with ahammer-guide frame, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine for driving fence-posts, the

combination, with a main frame, of a rock-' frame thereon, areciprocating frame arranged in the roclvframe, a screw-shaft swiveledin the rock-frame and engaging a threaded bearsereze ing in thereciprocating frame, a winding; drum also journaled in the rock-frame,the weight-gripping device and the rope connecting the same with thewindingdrum, substantially as specified.

3. In a machine for driving fence-posts, the combination, with the mainframe, of a rocking and reciprocating frame mounted thereon, ahammer-guide frame pivoted to the said rocking and reciprocating frame,and means for elevating and tripping a power-hammer, substantially asspecified.

4. In a machine for driving fence-posts, the combination, with a rockingand reciprocating frame, of a hammer-guide frame pivoted thereon, and anadjustable brace connecting the said frame with the ham mer-guide frame,

substantially as specified.

5. In a machine, substantially as described,

the combination, with the hammer-guide frame, 20 of the pivoted loops onthe sides thereof adapted to receive sticks or the like to hold the postto be driven, substantially as specified.

6. In a machine,substantially as described, the combination, with aframe having bearings for a rock-shaft, of a frame secured to the saidroek-shaft,asl iding or reciprocating frame arranged therein, ascrewshaft for moving the inner frame with relation to the outer frame,and suitable means for operating a powerhammer, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOS. 'W. TATE. BENJ. F. DIXON.

Witnesses IsrmM MOIVIAHAN, HORACE MODANIEL.

